Pistol Box

Hey guys, I just stumbled upon LJ yesterday while looking for some ideas for a pistol box. Great site, wish I had seen it earlier.

Anyway, I recently joined a pistol league and started competing in Bullseye matches (Standard Pistol), and noticed that everyone else had these boxes to carry their gear and hold their spotting scope. I’m not one to spend $200 on a wooden box, so I whipped this together last night. It was a bit rushed since I wanted to use it today at the club but, overall I’m happy with it. They sell hardware kits that include the handle and locking latches for the side but, I was limited to what I could find at Home Depot. This will hold me over until I have time to make something more to my liking. The scope stays mounted to the lid and tucks under the drawer when you close the box. Very convenient setup, and I no longer have to mess around with a tripod. I already had a few guys ask me today if I could make custom boxes for them.

The construction is just 1/2” sanded plywood joined with biscuits every 3”. Not sure how I want to finish the outside. The inside is just going to get a few coats of poly and some black felt for the base of the gun drawer and the fingers that hold the pistols.

Thanks guys. This box was built on a whim and in a rush. I started yesterday at 6pm and was using it at the range today at 2pm. I do plan on making another one with the proper hardware and a lot more detail. This one will serve me well until I have the time to make something that’s a little more “me”. My neighbor went shooting with me today and called “dibs” on this one when I make another. Tomorrow I’ll probably break it down tomorrow and put a finish on it as well as line the pistol tray and fingers with some nice felt or something to protect my guns. It worked well for me today though. Got a lot of comments on it at my club. A couple guys asked if I could make them a custom box as well to suit their specific needs.

Thanks for all the comments guys. I just finished putting a coat of stain on the box and I’m gonna run out to the fabric store for some felt for the drawer and fingers to protect my guns.

Jumbojack – I’m ordering a 4” x 16” magnet that is going to be adhered to the inside of the door so that the magazines are all lined up and readily available when I open the box. (And it will keep them from rattling around during travel.)

Even though I’m giving this to my neighbor I decided to put some finishing touches on it. I lined the drawer and the fingers that hold the pistols with rubber matting and put a few coats of poly and some Butcher’s wax on to protect it and give it a nice shine. I added some updated pics.